Bridging the Gap: Public Service Broadcasters, Diasporic Media and Audience Engagement.
University of Lincoln
Friday 2 November 2012
An International Symposium organised by the Media of Diaspora Research Group (MDRG) at the Lincoln School of Journalism, University of Lincoln, UK with support from the British Academy.
Confirmed participants from media industry:
Deputy Editor of Channel 4 News; Editor, African Voice Newspaper; CEO, Bright Entertainment Television; Editor, Al-Jazeera Television,UK.
The MDRG invites scholars and practitioners of public service and diasporic media to discuss whether public service remits should be universally applied as we reach a critical junction in the global public sphere.
While the diasporic media strives towards an ethno-specific cultural production, the public service broadcasters strive towards a “social compact that subsumes nation and ethnicity within the state” (Cunningham, 2001) because of its commitment to public service remits. However, both media types are limited in reaching diverse audiences due to various reasons including imbalances in the workforce and in representation. Moreover, the competitive imperative of audience fragmentation and migration of advertising revenue online puts more pressure on these media to develop confident, active audience and fostering social solidarity.
These raise a few questions for discussion at this international symposium:
- What are the challenges and prospects of delivering public service remits to diverse audiences in analogue and digital systems?
- Should the diasporic media embrace public service remits in order to broaden their reach beyond particularistic group?
- What roles could the diasporic media play in fostering social solidarity?
- How could public service broadcasters remain commercially viable without undermining public service content to minority and diasporic audiences?
- What are the challenges and prospects of redressing the imbalances in the workforce at the mainstream and diasporic media?
- What good practices are evident in projecting alternative perspectives to diverse audiences in analogue and digital media systems?
Participants should submit a 300 word abstract to conferences@lincoln.ac.uk by 20 March 2012. Early submission is strongly encouraged. Notification of acceptance is 14 April 2012. Further details and symposium registration details can be found at http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/campuslife/whatson/eventsconferences.
Members of the reviewing committee are Dr Ola Ogunyemi, Dr Daniel Muller, Prof. Ralph Negrine, Ms Carmen Diop and Ms Lioba Suchenwirth.
The Media of Diaspora Research Group (MDRG): it is a network of academics and professionals. It is based in the Lincoln School of Journalism, Universityof Lincoln, with members from universities around the world. MDRG researchers examine the organisational structure, business models, journalism standards and professional values at the media for, by and about the diasporic groups. To sign up to MDRG’s update, please visit https://mediaofdiaspora.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/